1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope washer disinfector for washing and disinfecting used endoscopes, and in particular, to an endoscope washer disinfector equipped with a nozzle to supply fluid to endoscopic channels in such a manner that the nozzle is connected automatically to the openings of the channels.
2. Related Art
A medical endoscope is equipped with an elongated flexible insertion tube to be inserted into patients' body cavities so that organs and tissue in the cavities can be visually observed and various types of endoscopic therapy can be conducted. For the endoscopic therapy, desired therapeutic instruments are inserted through a therapeutic channel of the insertion tube. Once the insertion tube is inserted into a patient's body cavity, the surfaces of the insertion tube are subjected to adherence of contamination from body fluids such as mucous membrane, blood, and waste materials. Thus it is always necessary to sufficiently wash and disinfect the used endoscopes. For washing and disinfecting endoscopes, an apparatus for washing and disinfecting endoscopes, which is called an endoscope washer, is used. A used endoscope to be washed and disinfected is accommodated in the washing/disinfecting bath (simply, washing bath) of the endoscope washer disinfector, and then subjected in sequence to necessary various processes including wash, disinfection, rinse, and drying processes.
The endoscopic channels, which are ducts formed through the insertion tube, consist of a plurality of channels such as an air-supply water-supply channel and a therapeutic-instrument channel. These channels, in particular, the inside thereof should be subjected to sufficient passage of washing and disinfecting liquid agents for reliable wash and disinfection.
As such an endoscope washer disinfector which has the capability of washing and disinfecting the outer surfaces of endoscopes and the inner channels thereof, an apparatus disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2005-270142 is known.
This conventional endoscope washer disinfector is equipped with a duct joint portion to move toward an endoscope channel. This duct joint portion can be connected automatically to the channel by an electrically operated mechanism driven on an electric motor. With the connection realized, liquid agents such as washing and disinfecting agents, which circulate in the washer disinfector, are fed through the channel for wash and disinfection.
However, in the endoscope washer disinfector disclosed by the above publication, it is necessary to control electrical components including the motor to drive the duct joint portion. Further, the disclosed washer disinfector is structured such that the duct joint portion slides on part of the washing bath. It is thus necessary to hold a watertight performance at the sliding portion by adopting sealing members, such as an O-ring, on the part of the washing bath. It is therefore inevitable to avoid deterioration of the sealing members due to frication with the movable duct joint portion. A higher deterioration may cause the liquid in the washing bath to leak into the main body of the washer disinfector. When such a leakage occurs, the various electrical and mechanical components may be damaged or troubled.